Ukraine Claims To Have Captured Indian Man 'Fighting For Russia'; MEA Responds
A video released by Ukraine shows the man in military gear. The man, identified as Majoti Sahil Mohamed Hussein, is said to be from Morbi, Gujarat.
A 22-year-old Indian man has reportedly been captured by Ukrainian forces. He was allegedly fighting for the Russian army. The man, identified as Majoti Sahil Mohamed Hussein, is said to be from Morbi, Gujarat.
A video released by Ukraine shows him in military gear, in which he claimed that he was jailed in Russia for drug charges. As of now, India has not confirmed the identity of the man. The officials are verifying the reports. The Indian Embassy in Ukraine is looking into the matter, NDTV reported.
"We are ascertaining the veracity of the report. We have not yet received any formal communication from the Ukrainian side in this regard," sources in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) told NDTV.
According to The Kyiv Independent, Hussein went to Russia to study at a university. He was later enlisted by the Russian army to fight in the war against Ukraine. A video released by Ukraine's 63rd Mechanised Brigade shows Hussein after being captured.
In the video, he said that he was sentenced to seven years in prison in Russia for drug-related charges. While serving his sentence, he was given the option to join the Russian army to reduce his punishment, which he accepted.
"I didn't want to stay in prison, so I signed a contract for the 'special military operation' (Russia's term for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine). But I wanted to get out of there," Hussein was reportedly quoted as saying by NDTV.
Hussein told the Ukrainian military that he received just 16 days of training from Russian forces. On Oct. 1, he was sent on his first combat mission. He said he fought for three days before a dispute with his commander. After that, he decided to surrender.
"I came across a Ukrainian trench position about two-three kilometres (one-two miles) away... I immediately put down my rifle and said that I didn't want to fight. I needed help," he said.
The incident comes amid reports that Russia has been recruiting foreign nationals, including from India and North Korea. These nationals, mostly men, are lured through the promises of high-paying jobs and other benefits.
The Indian government has repeatedly warned the youth not to fall for such job offers as they are likely to be fake. In January, India’s MEA confirmed that 12 Indian nationals had died fighting for the Russian army in Ukraine. They were among 126 Indians misled into going to Russia.
